The embodiments described herein relate generally to detecting hazards in mail and more specifically to systems and methods for detecting and containing contaminated mail in an incoming mail mailbox.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides a service of mail piece reception, sorting and delivery to national addresses and international postal streams. The USPS processes approximately 200 billion domestic letters per year. The USPS also processes parcels. Similarly, other courier services also exist that process letters and parcels.
Anthrax spores have been detected on mail pieces, mail-handling equipment and in or near areas where certain mail pieces that likely contained anthrax were handled. Several people that were in such areas have contracted anthrax disease. These attacks pose a danger of infection that may be lethal to those in affected areas. Additionally, there is no readily available warning system to provide an early warning that a mail piece contains anthrax spores. Certain members of the general population may fear receiving and handling mail due to the threat of mail terrorism.
Anthrax is a biological agent that has apparently been placed in the U.S. postal delivery system in mail pieces that could be considered camouflaged as ordinary mail because they were not properly marked or properly contained, as a dangerous biological agent should be. The person placing such mail in the mail system had the apparent sole purpose of delivering the Anthrax as a biological weapon to kill the immediate victims and terrorize others who use the postal system. The Anthrax has apparently been transported in spore form and in such a small form as to enable it to float in the air. The disease known as Anthrax disease is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis that is known as Anthrax. Anthrax is rod-shaped, and relatively large for a bacterium at 1 to 10 xcexcm in length.
The disease may be manifested as pulmonary anthrax or inhalation anthrax when a sufficient amount of Anthrax is inhaled. The disease may be manifested as intestinal anthrax when ingested in too great a quantity. The disease may be manifested as cutaneous anthrax that is typically found when an open wound or sore of a person has been exposed to Anthrax.
There are dozens of biological and chemical substances that are potential hazards if placed in the mail stream. Additionally, explosive devices have been sent in the mails in order to harm recipients.
In one embodiment, an incoming mail receptacle device includes a biological contamination detection system to determine if mail inserted into the receptacle is contaminated. An air sample is collected from an incoming mail piece and then processed though a hazard detector to determine if the mail piece is contaminated.